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The Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder don't have many similarities on the surface. The Thunder just captured a league-high 68 regular-season wins and are a heavy favorite to win the title this year, while the Nets are trending toward a rebuild after a 26-56 regular season. The only faint similarity these rosters share is the youth.
Oklahoma City is league by a young core, already finding success with MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while Brooklyn hasn't found success led by Cam Thomas. However, the 23-year-old is one of the more prolific scorers in the league, averaging 24 points per game this season. While these two teams are very different on the surface, they may be extremely similar within the next decade or so.
The NBA Draft should continue to be a major talking point for these two franchises, given their immense number of first-round picks. The Nets have 12 potential first-round picks through 2030, while the Thunder have 11. Many have been calling for Oklahoma City to stop hoarding picks and go all in on a superstar, as the team is already one of, if not the best in the league.
The Nets are in a different boat. While they certainly have the capital to make a win-now move, many fans want the exact opposite. Brooklyn doesn't have the roster to supplement a superstar in pursuit of a championship, so the direction should be to stay patient and develop as much talent as it can.
If the Nets play their cards right, they could end up being competitive sooner than people think. It will certainly take multiple seasons, but even if they don't make any drastic moves in the trade market or free agency, they can still build the right way: through the draft. The Thunder could also undergo serious changes within the next few years due to the new rules regarding the salary cap.
The first and second aprons have kept many teams from retaining homegrown talent or pieces of a competitive core, so Oklahoma City could be in a different position before we know it. However, its stash of picks helps to keep the team afloat..
